Starfish Spencer
by pineappleluna
Summary: It all starts when Juliet has something important to tell Shawn and she is not going to let anything, not even a case, get in the way. (Collection of stories/Ficlets) WARNING: Major spoilers for all of Season 7, but doesn't really pay attention to No Trout About It. (Stories are told out of order)
1. Suddenly

**This is my first try at Psych fanfiction, so hopefully it isn't too terrible. I really wanted to explore Shawn and Juliet as mom and dad because they'd be terrific parents. Please read and review! This is a one-shot for now, but it could potentially have companions.**

"Shawn, I know this is kind of strange and all," Juliet's fingers trembled as she gesticulated anxiously. They were in the middle of one of Santa Barbara's nicest parks. Juliet had actually just pulled Shawn away from a crime scene, much to the displeasure of her partner, Carlton Lassiter. He had bellowed at them to get back, but Juliet had ignored him and continued to pull Shawn away.

"Jules, this is quite attractive and all, you dragging me off in the middle of work," Shawn had blabbed, smiling mischievously. "But you've never walked out in the middle of a case…what's going on?"

"Not here," Juliet had said through gritted teeth. She had wanted to wait as long as possible, prolonging the time until she had to tell him. But now, she was sitting with her legs crossed tightly on a new, clean park bench and he was watching her intently. There was a sharp alertness in his eyes, something Juliet had come to notice was constantly present, even if he was being comical, as he was just then.

"I know why you practically dragged me out here. You want to experience more of my boyish, undeniably attractive charms, don't you, Jules?" Shawn nodded, giving Juliet a very "Blue Steel" smirk. Juliet, however, was not amused. She clenched her fingers around the edges of the bench.

"Shawn, this is important. I really have to tell you something."

Shawn's lips twitched, abashed. In seriousness rare for him, he nodded. Juliet swallowed, glancing down at the trodden leaves on the cobblestone, as if they could help her find her words.

"I wanted to tell you sooner, but we've both just been so busy," she began. "And I shouldn't have just up and left the case, I know that. Lassiter's going to be pissed, but quite frankly, I can't go much longer without saying anything and-"

Shawn covered her hand with his gently.

"Jules," he murmured. "Just talk to me."

Juliet stared into his eyes, feeling hers burn suddenly. She blinked the sensation away. Looking elsewhere, looking anywhere than at him, she whispered, "You'd better sit down."

Shawn frowned, but none the less sat down beside her on the bench. Juliet pursed her lips, focusing hard on remembering to breathe. Shawn took her hands in his.

"What is it, Jules?"

She looked up at his face, so open and serious. A few second ticked by; Juliet took a deep breath.

"I'm…" she started. Her natural instinct was to look down again, but she forced her chin up. "I'm pregnant, Shawn."

Shawn looked as though someone had hit him over the head with a frying pan. He felt, actually, as though someone had. His brain went all fuzzy, so that all he could hear was the rush of his heart beating. He was looking out at the grass without seeing just how green it was, looking at the circular pond in the distance without really seeing the ducks splashing in the water. Juliet was looking at him expectantly, waiting with anxiety for a response. Shawn searched for something to say. He should tell her how he felt. But, how was that, exactly? He didn't know what he was feeling and couldn't think up a response, so he asked the first, most ridiculous question that came to his mind.

"How?" he asked and, though he was not joking in the slightest, Juliet's face fell.

"How do you think?" she countered sharply. When Shawn's blank expression did not change, Juliet sighed. He was clearly shocked. She squeezed his hand tightly and his gaze slowly rose from the sunlit scenery to her eyes. Her eyebrows were pinched together, creating a slight crease at the bridge of her nose. "Shawn?"

Shawn blinked rapidly.

"You're really…?"

"Yes, Shawn," she said softly.

"There's really a little person, right in there?" he asked, reaching a hand out to gently touch Juliet's stomach.

Juliet nodded. Shawn held his breath for a moment and then, suddenly, his face split into a grin. He was going to have a kid! And more importantly, he was having a kid with Juliet. He laughed out loud, causing an elderly couple passing to glance at him reproachfully. Shawn paid them no mind, however, as he leapt forward and gently encased Juliet in his arms.

"God, Jules, this is wonderful!" he exclaimed. Juliet buried her face into his neck. "I can't believe it!"

"Me either," she mumbled, her voice constrict. It took Shawn a few seconds to recognize this and when he did, he pulled away, holding Juliet's elbows at arm's length. Smile fading, he scanned her face and quickly noticed how distinctively not happy she looked.

"What?" he asked, worried. "What is it?" He hesitated. "You do…you do want this…right?"

Juliet winced at how unsure he sounded.

"Yes, Shawn, I want this," she said, truly meaning it. "I really want this and I want it with you. It's just…"

Shawn raised his eyebrows, silently imploring for her to go on. Juliet bit her lip before speaking quickly.

"It's just, we've been through a lot lately, with the whole…" she screwed up her eyebrows, squinted, and put her fingers to her temples, a half-hearted imitation of Shawn. He acknowledged this with a tiny nod and Juliet went on. "And we wanted to take things slow, which we did for a while…up until that night, you know, before Gus came to you covered in dirt, digesting his hate letter to his dead boss, remember? The night when you and I…"

"How could I forget that?" he asked peevishly.

"I don't want you to think I regret it, because I really don't," she continued. "It's just…I'm scared, Shawn, and that fear isn't going away."

Shawn took a deep breath. He absentmindedly twirled one of Juliet's curls around his finger.

"First of all, that was an excellent impression of me," he began. "I think you can put in a little more Brando. Secondly," he went on quickly, knowing that Jules wasn't in much of a joking mood. "What've you got to be afraid of? I know these last few weeks have been rough, to say the least, but sweetheart…you're going to be a great mom."

"But are we ready for this?" Juliet pressed, grasping his forearms. She hesitated before asking, "Are…are you ready for this?"

Shawn looked affronted. "Jules, how could you ask me that?"

"Shawn, you left one of our coffee mugs at a crime scene!" Juliet exclaimed and though she meant it, the ridiculousness of that whole situation caused a laugh to creep into her voice. Shawn swatted the air dismissively.

"That was a coffee mug!" he said in defense. "Do you really think I'd leave our baby in a parking garage?"

Shawn winced the second these words were out of his mouth. What if he did? Juliet, however, let a giggle escape her. Despite her surface insecurity, she knew deep down that she and Shawn would be just fine.

"No, Shawn, I don't think that," she smiled. "I just…I know how you are with responsibility and commitment and I'm worried about you."

Shawn looked deep into her eyes.

"Jules, sweetheart, I know that I've been…" he paused, searching for the right term. "I've been a major d-bag. I've made decisions that aren't the most respectable and have put a lot of people into really bad situations. But I've wanted to change for you and I've been trying to for a while. And this…this is going to change everything."

Juliet stared at him, listening intently, knowing that Shawn would go on.

"You know how things are with my Dad," he said bluntly. "I remember when I was a kid, I always told myself, when I'm a Dad, my kid is going to know every second of every day that I love him or her. There's not going to be a doubt in that kid's mind that Dad's going to do everything he can do to protect and love that little soul." He paused again and rubbed his hand over his face. "I know my Dad taught me a lot and that all he did, he did with my future in mind…but at the time, I never felt like he cared. And my child, Jules, our child, is never going to feel that way."

A tear slipped down Juliet's cheek. Shawn brushed it lightly away with his thumb.

"Don't worry, Jules," he murmured, leaning forward to bump his nose gently against hers. Juliet closed her eyes, a few more drops escaping as she did so. "You and me, we're a team. Everything is going to be just fine, sweets."

Juliet nodded mutely and held the sides of his head. Shawn cupped her face easily in his hands, pressing their foreheads together.

"I love you, Shawn," Juliet whispered, running her fingers up and down along his jaw. He smiled at her before touching his lips against hers.

"I love you, too, Jules," he murmured when they parted. "More than pineapple smoothies and 80's movies combined."

Juliet laughed softly and melted into his embrace. Shawn held her firmly against his chest, kissing her head.

"You're going to be such a wonderful Daddy, Shawn," She said quietly. Shawn felt a slow, warm smile spread across his face. Juliet sat up suddenly.

"Just promise me one thing?"

"What?"

"Whether it's a girl or a boy," she began, "We're not naming our child Starfish."

Shawn clicked his teeth.

"Damn, Jules," he said, grinning. "You're no fun at all,"

Juliet raised her eyebrows, smiling. "Oh, I'm not am I?"

Before Shawn could speak, she crashed her lips upon his and kissed him passionately. Shawn was taken aback for a few seconds, but recovered quickly and responded fully. After several moments, they broke apart. Shawn smiled mischievously at her. Juliet laughed again, feeling considerably lighter than she had ten minutes ago. Her hand subconsciously found its way to her stomach. She pressed her fingers against it lightly, feeling her heartbeat underneath her fingertips and imagining that it was her baby's. Shawn noticed this and he reached up to cover her hand with his. They shared a small, sweet smile.

"Come on," Juliet said after a few minutes of simply sitting there with their hands over Juliet's now slim stomach. "We should get back before Lassiter gives himself a heart attack."

And so, gripping hands once more, they stood together and left the park.

**Please review!**


	2. What's in a Name?

**Thank you so, so much to everyone who has reviewed! I've absolutely love hearing your thoughts and suggestions. I got a lot of people asking to see the rest of the gang's reaction to Shawn and Jules's announcement. While I can say that I'm working on that, I have to apologize for not posting that one next. This little story sort of just took control and I thought, rather than wait forever to update, I should just post this one now. So, that being said, most of these stories will probably be out of order. (Yes, stories. I'm planning and currently writing a few more!). **

**Again, thank you SO much for reading and reviewing! I hope you enjoy this one as much or more as the last. Also, I apologize in advance for any extreme grammar errors. I'm currently resting off wisdom teeth removal, so there may be a few obvious errors.**

What's in a Name?

"Come on, Jules, what's so bad about it?" Shawn whined. He and Juliet were sitting on a swinging bench on their porch. Surrounding them were many books, some opened and some unopened and stacked upon one another. The warm, late summer air was cooled by a very gentle breeze that blew the pages up and down.

"I'm not even going to dignify that with an answer," Juliet said absently, absorbed in one of the books which was opened on her round stomach. She was sitting against the corner of the bench, her feet resting in Shawn's lap.

"But really, though, it's the best name," Shawn explained. "It's perfectly ambiguous; a girl or a boy can be named Starfish. We wouldn't have to come up with two different options. And," he added eagerly. "It's unique. We would never have to worry about our son being the third Jack in class or our daughter being the millionth Megan. There's no way our child would be confused with any other kid at school."

"Shawn, for the thousandth time, I am not naming my child Starfish," Juliet said calmly, still scanning the book. "We're not hippies and even if we were, that would just be too much. And I thought we vetoed Jack and Megan last week?"

"Fine, sweetheart," Shawn sighed resignedly. "Fine. Let's just continue to look through these books of cliché, generic names, shall we?"

Juliet smiled vaguely as she turned the page.

"That's all I ask of you, dear," she said. Shawn picked up a book and started leafing through it dramatically.

"So are we looking for a girl's name or a boy's name first?" he asked. Juliet looked up.

"I was thinking we could come up with a couple of options for a girl first," she answered thoughtfully. "And then we can look at boy names."

Shawn nodded, though he was frowning slightly. This was going to take forever.

"This would all be much easier if we had found out the baby's gender," he said carefully.

"But Shawn, we agreed that we wanted to be surprised, remember?" Juliet exclaimed, smiling slightly. "I don't want to find out until he or she is born. It makes everything even more exciting."

Shawn couldn't argue with this. The joyful smile on Juliet's face made him warm up inside. She was already a gorgeous mother. Massaging her feet gently, he went back to the books.

"Alright…let's see…" he scanned a page of all "T" names. "Tabatha?"

"Isn't that the name of the daughter on Bewitched?" Jules asked, rejection filling her voice. "How about Imogen?"

Shawn blinked.

"Imogen?" he repeated incredulously. Juliet let out a laugh.

"I guess not," she grinned. "Oh! This one's kind of sweet. Winnie?"

Shawn shook his head immediately.

"Just imagine how many kids would call her 'Pooh'," he reasoned. "And tease her about being named after a pudgy old bear. And a piece of poo…"

"Everyone loves Winnie the Pooh!" Juliet argued.

"That doesn't mean they won't tease her," Shawn said. He smacked his lips, as though tasting something bad. "Winnie Spencer…just doesn't sound right."

Juliet winced a little upon hearing the names together. Shawn picked up another book, reading off the first name he saw.

"Alyssa?"

"Eh…"

"Charlotte?" Juliet tried.

But all Shawn had to say to that was "Some Pig."

"Gwen?"

"Spider-man's girlfriend?"

"Fine, how about…Lucy?" Juliet scanned a book called "Fantastical Names for Your Baby".

"That could work. What about Daphne? Velma?"

"Shawn!"

"That's my name Jules," Shawn said, frowning and looking up at her. "That would just be weird."

"No Scooby-Doo names," Juliet said, rolling her eyes. They continued to offer up names. Together they denied Lacy, Celeste, Shelby, Lydia, Molly ("But Ringwald, Jules!"), Elena, Marta, Lindsey, Amelia, and countless others. Shawn had, however, taken up a long list of possibilities that he and Juliet could agree might work.

"So far we have Ariana, Emma, Olive, Matilda, Lucy, and Grace," Shawn read off. He thought for a few seconds before adding, "Why don't we do a really nice, pure 80's name? Like…Lisa?"

Juliet looked up from her book and tried it out. "Lisa. Lisa Spencer." She smiled. "That's pretty cute."

"You're pretty cute, Jules," Shawn grinned at Juliet, tickling her feet. She giggled, causing the book she was holding to fall to the ground. Juliet tried to reach for it, but her overlarge stomach made things difficult.

"Here, baby, I got it," Shawn said, stopping her. Juliet leaned back as he picked it up. When he handed it to her, however, she realized that it was not the same book. He sat back down and she was about to ask him to give her the actual book, but the title of this one caught her eye.

"'Your Shakespearean Baby?'" she read, eyebrows furrowed. She showed it to Shawn. "I didn't know we had this one."

Shawn shrugged, gently placing her feet back on his lap.

"That could be interesting." He nodded, reaching his arm out and resting his palm on her stomach. "Why don't we see what the baby thinks?"

Juliet put hers next to his and opened the book with one hand.

"Let's see…there's Rosalind," she began. Nothing. "Audrey? No. Ophelia? Cordelia? Helena? Cressida?"

Juliet scrunched her nose as she scanned the page. Her eyes had just reached the bottom when she smiled.

"This one's sweet," she said, pointing at her spot.

"Let's hear it, then," Shawn smiled as well.

"Phoebe," Juliet read gently.

No sooner had she said this when, suddenly, Shawn felt something under his hand. He and Juliet looked up at each other, awestruck.

"Phoebe," Shawn said seriously to Juliet's stomach. The baby kicked again. Juliet let out a breathless laugh. A grin split over Shawn's face and he rubbed his hand over the spot where the baby had kicked.

"I think we found the winner," he said softly.

"Phoebe?" They tried again at the same time. The baby kicked more.

Shawn could hardly believe it. A thought struck him suddenly. "What about middle names?"

An affectionate glint appeared in Juliet's eyes.

"Madeleine." She stated and Shawn could tell that she had decided this long ago. Shawn felt a sudden rush of appreciation for the beautiful woman sitting next to him. Not that he didn't feel that all of the time; no, he just felt it even more intensely.

"I love it," he murmured. "My mom is going to love it."

Juliet smiled understandingly. She knew how important Shawn's mother was to him. Although she loved her own mother very much, she could see that Shawn and Madeleine had a very rare, special connection that she had never quite had with her mom.

"So is that it then?" Shawn asked. "Phoebe Madeleine Spencer?"

Juliet clapped her hands together eagerly.

"Looks like it!" She grinned. Shawn beamed and leaned over her, his propping himself up with one arm.

"I'm going to kiss you on the mouth now," he told her.

"You go for it," Juliet whispered, her smile wrinkling her nose. They kissed, long and tender, before Shawn sat back down.

"Phoebe Madeleine Spencer," he repeated with a goofy grin still on his face. They were already a little over five months into this and Shawn was still having a little trouble believing that he was going to be a Dad. Sometimes he had to remind himself that he already sort of was. And then there were those little moments when a surge of excitement and joy filled him, when it really hit him that he and his Jules, the woman he loved more than anything else, had together created living proof of their love. It was moments like when his Dad had actually kissed him on the head with (to Shawn's immense surprise) tears in his eyes, or when Juliet's baby bump first became noticeable, or when he felt the baby kick for the first time or saw it on the ultra-sound or now….now when he and Jules had picked out the perfect name for their potential daughter.

Shawn looked up to see Juliet staring at her stomach. He could guess, and he was correct, that she was thinking the exact same thing. She was, to be perfectly honest, nothing short of terrified at the prospect of being a mother. She had been since finding out about the baby. But, her joy overpowered whatever fear was there and her excitement made it less scary.

"Phoebe Madeleine Spencer." Juliet said after Shawn. "That really has an adorable ring to it."

"Yes," Shawn agreed. "And it also sounds really good scolding." He put on a surly face that seemed like an exact impression of his Dad. His tested it out in an attempt at an angry voice. "Phoebe Madeleine Spencer, you go to your room right…."

Shawn trailed off, his expression slipping into a shocked frown.

"Uh oh…" he muttered. He said the name on his breath. "Phoebe Madeleine Spencer…oh god, Jules, that's not going to work. We can't name any child of ours that."  
"What?" Juliet exclaimed, appalled. They had both just fallen in love with that name! "How can you say that? A minute ago you were saying how perfect it was and now…"

"Think about it, Jules," Shawn said quietly, knowingly. Juliet said the voice over in her head.

"Phoebe M…Oh!" She gasped. Her face fell. "Oh…you're right, Shawn, that's not going to work."

"What kind of parents would we be if we gave our kid the initials P.M.S.?" Shawn wondered out loud, horrified. Juliet shook her head grimly.

"Pretty mean ones," she answered. They thought for a second, both reflecting on how unfortunate it was that such a perfect name could have such a terrible acronym.

"What if," Juliet began brightly, an idea coming to her, "What if we just add another middle name?"

Shawn snapped his fingers and pointed at her.

"Genius," he nodded, smiling. Juliet thought about it for a moment before opening her eyes wide like the answer was obvious.

"We liked 'Lisa', so why don't we use that?" she beamed. "Phoebe Madeleine _Lisa _Spencer."

"Perfect!" Shawn exclaimed gleefully. He leapt to his feet, equal parts happy about finding a perfect name and not having to search anymore. "I love it. I love you" he kissed Juliet and then moved his head to talk to her stomach. "And I love you, sweet unborn-child-o'-mine" he kissed the spot where the baby had kicked and then stood up straight, dancing around the discarded books. Juliet beamed with amusement, watching Shawn jump around the porch. She grabbed his hand when he passed, though, stopping him and turning him around.

"Shawn, just one more thing?" she smiled. Shawn fell to his knee and placed a gentlemanly kiss on Juliet's hand.

"Yes, sweet Jules?" he asked, his eyes radiant with joy. Juliet sat up a bit so that her face was closer to his.

"What if it's a boy?"

Shawn's face slowly wiped blank. He blinked, kissed Juliet's hand again.

"Back to square one," he sighed. Sitting down, he opened another book. They sat in silence for a moment before Shawn said dryly,

"See how much easier it would have been if we had just gone with Starfish?"

**Thoughts? Please review! :D **


	3. Secrets Don't Make Friends (Part One)

**Hello fellow Psych-O's! I apologize for this update being so late, but I'm kind of excited about this one, so I wanted to work on it a little longer. This particular piece will be split into two parts. I started to write it all together, but it's a little too long that way. I like breaking it up a bit, anyway. This is, as many people have asked about in reviews, THE ANNOUNCEMENT! So, please read, enjoy, review, and stay tuned for the next part because there is more to come to this adventure! :D **

Secrets Don't Make Friends...

They were not going to tell anyone until dinner. Everything was to go as normal. Shawn and Gus would work on a case, Juliet and Lassiter would work on a case. They would talk about everyday things and do everything as usual. Life would just happen and no one would suspect that it should be any different.

Until dinner at 7:00 tonight.

Shawn and Juliet had decided that a small, but special, dinner with everyone would be the best way of announcing their new addition. Well…they sort of decided…

"Not even Gus?"

They were sitting on their bed, folding clothes. A small mountain of clean laundry was piled in between them. The soft morning sunlight made the room glow. Both were still in their pajamas, as Juliet was not called until around lunch time and Shawn could go into the Psych office pretty much whenever he wanted.

"No, Shawn, we can't tell one person before the others or else they're going to get all…" Juliet waved her hands frantically, dropping a dish towel as she did so.

"But, Jules, it's Gus! Gus is like an extension of me." Shawn paused, knotting a pair of socks, before adding, "This baby's practically partly his."

Juliet winced. "That's gross, Shawn."

Shawn thought for a second about what he had just said and then made a face.

"Yeah, that is pretty gross," he agreed, tossing the socks into the pile with his other folded clothes. "But still, Jules, Gus is my best friend—"

"And Lassiter is my partner," Juliet interrupted. "Do you know how angry he would be if we kept this from him, but told someone else?"

Shawn clicked his teeth. Juliet rolled her eyes. She dropped what she was holding, a piece of lacy undergarment that she and Shawn had enjoyed very much last weekend. She took Shawn's hands.

"Look," she said gently. "I know you want to tell Gus right away. I really want to tell my mom and Lloyd and even Frank right now, too, but we're just going to have to wait. I promise that I won't tell anyone if you don't tell anyone."

Shawn stared into Juliet's eyes for a moment.

"Okay," he said finally. "I promise."

Juliet smiled and leaned forward to kiss him.

"But…" he whispered when their noses were just barely touching. "Under one little condition…"

Juliet smiled mischievously, her hand searching for that aforementioned lacy garment. "Oh, yeah? And what would that be?"

"After the dinner…when everyone's gone…" he said slowly, softly "…you and I…"

"Yeah?" Juliet murmured, lifting the lacy garment.

"…you and I…" Shawn repeated, eyes grinning as he and Juliet got closer.

"Uh-huh…?" Juliet closed her eyes as the gap between them got tinier and tinier. His lips tickled against hers.

"…we are going to watch some Phineas and Ferb."

Juliet froze, frowning against his lips. She pulled away and sat back on her heels, staring at him in astonishment. Shawn blinked, confused.

"What?" he asked innocently. "Did you have something else in mind?"

Juliet smirked and held up the lace so that it was right in his face. Shawn raised his eyebrows.

"That could be good, too."

* * *

Shawn could taste blood; he was biting on his tongue that hard. He wadded up the old paperwork he was holding and shot it through the basketball hoop next to the window. He heard a slight tittering and, without looking, knew that Gus's eyes were on him.

"Uhh…Shawn?" Gus asked suspiciously.

"Mmmmh?" Shawn replied, not able to look Gus in the eye. He was also absolutely unable to speak; if he opened his mouth, the whole deal that he and Juliet made would be out the window.

"What's with you?" Gus frowned. "You haven't said a word for two hours."

"That's not true!" Shawn said, breaking his silence. "I said 'Hello'"

"Grunting and giving me a squinty smile cannot be counted as a proper greeting, Shawn," Gus argued. "Now, what's going on?"

Shawn squeezed his eyes shut with defeated frustration. He couldn't hold this in any longer.

"Okay, fine," he opened his eyes. "But you have to absolutely promise me that under no circumstances will you tell Jules I'm telling you this."

Gus's hesitated at this, just in case it was something a little too personal, but he gave Shawn a tiny nod anyway. Shawn stood up and went to Gus's desk, perching himself on the corner of it.

"I promised Jules I wouldn't say anything, so you're going to have to guess." He told Gus decisively. This was the only way to do it.

"What like charades?" Gus asked skeptically. Shawn made a face.

"No, no," he shook his head. "This would be weird with charades."

"Well then how do you expect me to guess?" Gus tested. Shawn clicked his teeth.

"Okay…" he started, thinking about how to word everything without saying it outright. "Gus, when a man and a woman love each other very much…" he stopped himself. That sounded way too much like an adult giving a child 'The Talk'. Gus was eyeing him warily. Shawn began again.

"That night you ate your death wish to your boss and we broke into his office and tried to clean up?" he said. "Well Jules and I…we had this…this 'one time' sort of a thing that really only proved that we're meant to be…and, you know, two grown people spending the night in the same house, the same bed, their skin rubbing-"

"Do I want to hear this?"

"Gus, just think about it! A man and a woman who love each other and are alone, together at night with their feet touching and—"

"Shawn, could you spare me the details and get to the point, please?" Gus stopped him. Shawn raised his arms.

"Come on, man, this is the point," he said. "Jules and I…"

Shawn made a gesture that Gus chose to turn away from.

"And what happens when that happens?"

"Look, I know you and Jules…do it…but what's that got to do with…" Gus trailed off. He froze, staring blankly into space, his eyes the size of saucers. They slowly found Shawn's.

"Shawn…" he said lowly, his voice full of disbelief. "Are you saying…is Juliet…?"

Shawn nodded eagerly as Gus put the pieces together.

"And you two…" he muttered, pointing at Shawn. He blinked. "Juliet's having a baby?"

"Bingo!" Shawn exclaimed, jumping off of the desk. Gus leapt out of his seat.

"I'm going to be an Uncle!" he practically shouted, a grin splitting his face. He sprang over to Shawn and they shared a brotherly embrace before dancing around the office.

"An Uncle!" Gus kept singing. "An uncle, an uncle!"

"You know that's right!" Shawn cried, pointing. Gus stopped suddenly and looked at him in bewilderment, as if he all of the sudden realized something.

"You're going to be a Dad, Shawn." He stated. Shawn froze and looked at his best friend. For all of the times Juliet had told him that since they found out, never had it sounded as foreign as when Gus, his childhood friend, said it. Shawn opened his mouth to speak, but another voice stopped him.

"WHAT?!"

Henry Spencer had just walked in the door. Shawn and Gus turned slowly to him. The elder Spencer was wearing his usual khakis and a Hawaiian shirt. He was holding what looked (and smelled) like an old, rotting box of fishing supplies. This was probably because it was, in fact, an old, rotting box of fish supplies. Shawn felt for fish everywhere as, at the moment, his mouth opened and closed soundlessly like one of the slippery creatures.

"Ummm….uh, Dad," he said, trying to sound surprised. "What-what…what are you doing here? And why did you bring the remains of the cast of Finding Nemo?"

"Never mind why I'm here," Henry said sharply. He took a few steps closer to Shawn and Shawn instinctively took a few steps back (partially because his Dad looked quite dangerous and partially because of the smell of the box…mostly because of the smell of the box…). "What did I just hear Gus say?"

Shawn looked to Gus for help. Gus shrugged wildly.

"Um…um…" Shawn stammered. "Gus just said, um, 'You better call your Dad'?"

"Oh, really?" Henry asked, feigning belief. "Oh, okay, that's interesting, because it sounded to me like he was saying that my son is going to be a Dad."

Shawn opened his mouth, closed it, opened it, and then closed it again. Crap.

"Damn it, Dad," he sighed, looking up at the ceiling. Juliet was going to skewer him alive. But it wasn't entirely his fault, was it? Gus had said it and neither of them had known that his Dad was lurking around the corner. So…Juliet would understand…right? Shawn scrunched his face.

"I wasn't supposed to say anything about this until tonight at dinner." He said, not quite looking his Dad in the eyes. Henry raised his eyebrows.

"Oh yeah, kid?" he asked, challenging. "And what is it exactly that you aren't supposed to say anything about?"

Shawn looked right into Henry's eyes at that point. He knew that his Dad knew. It was obvious that all he wanted was for Shawn to say it. But Shawn had promised Jules…then again, his Dad already knew, so what difference was it going to make? Shawn lifted his chin so that he and his Dad were level.

"Juliet is pregnant." He said plainly. "She and I are going to have a baby."

The silence that filled the room was so thick that it could be cut into tiny pieces with a knife. Henry hadn't moved an inch nor had his expression changed. Shawn cocked an eyebrow at him.

"You're going to be a Grandpa," he tried again, this time with a hint of a smile in his voice. Henry finally moved. He looked down at the box he was holding, like it was taking every ounce of effort he had not to drop it. Gus watched apprehensively. Shawn couldn't help but let his face fall into a frown. His father was unreadable.

"Dad…?"

"I heard you, Shawn," Henry said lowly, still staring at the box. Shawn and Gus exchanged a bemused look. This was not how Shawn expected this to go; though, now that this was actually happening, he wasn't sure what he had been expecting from his father.

"And…?" he asked quietly, hearing the fear and the need for a reaction in his voice. His Dad looked up and, to Shawn's great surprise, his eyes were glistening. He was sucking in his lower lip and there was an unmistakable tightness in his face, like he was trying to hold something in. He put the box down on Shawn's desk and before Shawn could react, Henry had wrapped his arms around his son.

It was Shawn's turn to freeze. He stared at Gus over his father's shoulder, only to see that Gus's face was mirroring the surprise that Shawn felt. He hesitantly raised his arms and hugged his father back. Henry squeezed him, apparently unable to speak, but Shawn suddenly got what he was trying to convey. He let his head fall onto his Dad's shoulder, something he probably hadn't done since he was a small child. He noticed how comforting it felt.

"Thanks, Dad," he whispered. Henry could only nod, squeeze Shawn once more, and then let go. He pressed his lips briefly to his son's head, just as he had on the day he had been shot, and then turned back to his smelly box of fishing things. The room was still strangely quiet as Henry turned and started to leave. Before he walked out the door, he surprised the boys again by giving Gus a hug, too. Although, it wasn't the most pleasant of hugs, as it was one armed and shared partially by the stinking fish box. Gus had to hide his gag with a tight smile.

"See you later, Dad!" Shawn called as Henry stepped towards the threshold. He raised his arm in response, his thumb up. Shawn and Gus watched him disappear and remained quiet until they heard the door close.

"That was weird." Gus said confusedly. Shawn blinked.

"Yeah, it was," he muttered. That had been one of the oddest experiences he'd ever had with his father. "But it wasn't bad, I guess."

"No, not at all," Gus said empathetically. Shawn looked at him appreciatively. Gus smiled and shook his head slightly. "Damn, Shawn, a baby. This is going to be…damn…"

He didn't finish the sentence, but Shawn understood. He was still a little stunned by his Dad's reaction. That and the fact that he had just broken his promise and now…two people knew as opposed to the zero who were supposed to.

"I'm really happy for you, man," Gus said, smiling. Shawn smiled, too.

"Thanks buddy," he nodded. It meant a lot to him that Gus was being so supportive. Shawn knew that he wasn't very responsible and definitely not the very mature. He couldn't deny the childish part of himself. Most people would probably laugh at the idea of him being a father, but Gus stood by his side and that meant the world to him.

But that wouldn't mean anything if Juliet found out that he had let slip. Shawn shook his head, irritated with himself for not being able to keep his mouth shut.

Jules was going to kill him. Shawn would be lucky to even hold his child.

**To Be Continued...**

**(Please review! Thank you to those who have.)**


	4. Secrets Don't Make Friends (Part Two)

**Hello Psych-O's! Here is Part Two of Secrets Don't Make Friends. I wanted to get it up yesterday, but there was just no time. This one is quite a bit longer than the first part and a lot longer than I intended it to be, but there were some moments that I felt would be necessary. Interestingly enough, I had already written half of this when I posted the last update and a lot of you seemed to see where it was going. Many of you guessed/suggested/mentioned Jules telling Lassie, which was great because that was just what was going to happen! So here it is! Enjoy and please review!**

**Secrets Don't Make Friends (Part Two)**

"O'Hara!"

Juliet leapt in the air, just barely hitting her head on car's ceiling. She blinked, bringing herself back to earth. She was sitting in the passenger seat of Lassiter's Ford Fusion, seatbelt still on though the car was not moving. Lassiter was standing a foot away from the hood. He had gotten out of the car and walked toward the hotel they were supposed to be investigating, assuming that his partner was right behind him. But when he saw that she wasn't, he yelled and his voice carried through both the closed doors and the windows.

Juliet gritted her teeth, cursing herself for not paying attention. She unbuckled and got out of the car, preparing herself for a lecture.

"What on earth is going on, O'Hara?" Lassiter asked her suspiciously. "You were quiet for the entire ride down here."

"I know, I know," Juliet said, closing her eyes and pinching the bridge of her nose. "I'm just not really here today."

"Well, that's pretty clear," Lassiter said, unintentionally sounding snide. Juliet gave him a look. He raised his eyebrows innocently. "What?"

Juliet just scoffed, shaking her head, and started to walk to the doors. To her surprise, Lassiter stopped her. When she looked at him, there was concern in his eyes.

"Did Spencer do something?" he asked shrewdly. Juliet didn't quite know how to answer that. Suddenly, she really wanted to tell Lassiter what was on her mind. She hesitated for a second, seriously considering it, but then shook her head.

"No," she said finally. "No, I'm just…"

But, to her relief, Juliet didn't have to finish her sentence. The doors to the hotel opened and a tall, well dressed man with a thin pencil mustache stepped out.

"Ah, Detectives," he said in a posh, polite voice. "I am Adam Lancaster, manager of this hotel. I was hoping you'd show up soon. Come in."

Lassiter glanced at Juliet, who nodded, and together they followed Adam Lancaster through the classy glass doors. Cool air and soft lights greeted them. The lobby was crowded with people chattering in different languages and accents. A luggage rack carrying two large suitcases and a giggling, red-haired little boy zoomed past them, followed by an aggravated looking bellboy and the boys disheveled parents. Lancaster led them towards the front desk and Juliet couldn't help but observe the clientele. They did not do much to help her current distraction.

There were children everywhere. They were chattering, laughing, playing….A girl who looked like she had barely learned to walk was toddling away from her parents, who were arguing with one of the desk clerks in what sounded like Portuguese. And then, her eyes fell on two people in particular, a man and a woman. They were sitting on one of the luxurious couches, smiling at something that the woman was holding. Juliet heard a faint cry over the din.

"So when did you hire the maid?" Lassiter briskly asked Lancaster, who was now standing on the opposite side of the front desk, as if Juliet and Lassiter were guests. Juliet turned away from the couple and their baby, but didn't hear Lancaster's answer. Just like she had in the car, Juliet went into a sort of trance-like state, thinking about her baby. Those two words sent chills up and down her spine. She let them ring around in her head; her baby, Shawn's baby, their baby…

"O'Hara…?" Lassiter nudged her with his elbow. Juliet shook her head again, as if to clear water out of her ears. She had barely been paying attention to the conversation at hand, and yet, she knew where to pick up.

"So, when was the last time you saw her?" she asked, all business.

"Well, she had a night shift," he answered. "Laundry duty, I think it was."

"And how many others were working with her that night?" Lassiter asked. Juliet tried to pay attention this time, she really did…but she heard the baby cry or laugh again. A soft, almost indistinguishable smile touched her lips.

That was such a beautiful noise. She couldn't wait until that moment that she could hear her own baby. An image of her and Shawn doting over a crib popped into her head and Juliet found herself subconsciously putting a hand to her stomach.

"Okay, I think that will be all for now," Lassiter said, a little too loudly. Juliet jolted for the third time. He was staring at her hard and questioningly. They bid the manager goodbye and Juliet did not look at her partner until they got in the car.

"O'Hara—" Lassiter began wearily once he had started the engine.

But Juliet held a hand up.

"Yes, I'm distracted, yes, I know that was totally unprofessional, and, you know what, since we can't work without telling each other things," she said decisively. "I'm just going to say it."

Lassiter averted his eyes from the road for a second, looking at her with foreboding. Juliet sighed. She shouldn't be doing this, especially after she made Shawn promise not to tell Gus, but she couldn't help it.

"Remember that…that thing I told you about when we were working the case at Gus's office? About going to the…the _lady doctor_?"

Lassiter frowned. "You mean the whole thing about Spencer's demon spawn?"

Juliet pursed her lips. "Yes, that."

"Yeah, but that was just a joke, wasn't it?"

Juliet didn't say anything. She looked out of the window uncomfortably.

"O'Hara?" Lassiter asked with disbelief.

"Yes, okay, it was a joke!" Juliet snapped. She huffed out a breath of air and bit her lip. "It was a joke then."

"Then why—oh." Lassiter nearly slammed into the car in front of them, which had stopped. Juliet held onto the door handle to keep from lurching forward. A long line of traffic loomed ahead of them. "So now you're really carrying his little monster?"

Juliet glared at him reproachfully.

"You know, part of that monster happens to be mine," she said angrily, feeling her blood boil suddenly. "Look, I know you're you and there always has to be a problem with something and nothing can ever be good for someone else, especially not Shawn, but the least you could do is be a little bit happy."  
Lassiter hesitated, taken aback by his partner's sudden aggressiveness. He held the steering wheel tightly.

"I'm sorry, O'Hara," he said awkwardly. He relented and added sincerely, "I am happy for you. I think you're going to be a really good mom."

Juliet, who had been scowling, sighed. She blinked and allowed a small smirk to grace her face.

"That means a lot to hear from you," she said civilly. Lassiter raised an eyebrow.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Umm…"

But it wasn't Juliet who was speaking, unless her voice had gotten five octaves deeper and had accumulated static. Both detectives jumped as the new voice spoke.

"McNab?" Lassiter barked in confusion.

"Hey you two…" Officer McNab's voice said cheerily. "I guess you didn't know that your police scanner was on?"

Juliet froze. Crap.

"Did you hear all of that?" she asked urgently.

"Yes, I did," he said, a smile evident in his voice. "And I just have to say, I'm very happy for you and Shawn."  
"Damn it!" Juliet cursed, smacking her forehead.

"Don't worry, I think Lassiter's scanner is only tuned into me, so the Chief and I are the only ones who heard that."

"The Chief heard that?" Juliet asked faintly.

"Yes, I did," Karen Vick's voice said softly. "Congratulations, O'Hara. Lassiter's right…you're going to be a wonderful mom."

Juliet swore again, mentally this time.

"Thanks, Chief," she said reluctantly. She bit her lip before adding, "Okay, you guys cannot breathe a word of this to anyone. No one was supposed to know, so don't mention this to anyone…okay?"

"Okay," agreed three voices.

"Good" Juliet breathed, though she didn't feel very good. Shawn was probably biting his tongue off to keep himself from talking and was probably succeeding, while here she was telling three people in one go.

'I'm sorry, Shawn…' she apologized internally.

She'd have to watch hours of Phineas and Ferb to make up for this.

Juliet stood on the porch, staring at the front door to her house and biting her lip. She had just stuck her key in the lock and was about to unlock it, but stopped, filled with guilt about her broken end of the promise. She had thought she could just easily get away with not telling him, but she felt so bad about it…she didn't think that she could look at him without her eyes giving her away. Maybe he wouldn't be home yet and she would have time to make some pineapple smoothies or something else to make up for it…

She turned the key in the lock decisively and opened the door. And just from walking in, it was clear that Shawn was home.

And that he had cleaned. Everything.

Juliet blinked, closing the door quietly behind her. The entire living room was spotless and neat; it looked just like a picture from a magazine. Juliet was speechless. She could hear some 80's music playing upstairs, as well as the sound of a vacuum whirring. She slipped her heels off, so as not to dirty the strangely clean floor, and carried them as she made her way cautiously up the stairs; something must be seriously wrong with her boyfriend if he was vacuuming.

The music became much louder as Tears for Fears' 'Shout' came on.

"Shawn?" Juliet called as she turned the corner on the landing of the stairs. But it wasn't Shawn who was vacuuming the hall and dancing wildly as he did so. It was Gus. He hadn't heard Juliet, but rather continued to dance. Juliet recognized a few of the moves as ones that she had taught him and Shawn when they had performed it on American Duos. Rolling her eyes and suppressing the urge to laugh, she ran up the rest of the stairs and tapped Gus on the shoulder.

"Gus!" she shouted over the movement. Gus leapt into the air, turning around to face her.

"Juliet!" he yelled in terror, his eyes wide and guilty. "You're-what are you-why are you-I'm so h—uh… "

He turned towards Shawn and Juliet's room. "Shawn! Shawn!"

Shawn popped his head out of the door, a doctor's mask on his face and a feather duster in his hand. His eyebrows jumped to meet his hairline.

"Jules!" he exclaimed through the mask. He said something else that was lost to the noise of the music.

"What?" Juliet asked loudly. Shawn held his finger up and disappeared into their bedroom. The music turned off seconds later. He came back out, taking the mask off.

"Hey, Jules," he greeted her again, smiling. Juliet smiled back and tried to look as relaxed as possible. She was so focused on her own guilt that she didn't notice the slight apprehensiveness in Shawn's eyes. "You're…uh, you're home early."

"Yeah, I thought I'd start to clean up a bit before…tonight," Juliet swallowed and let out an airy little laugh. "But it looks like you two have already got that covered."

Shawn shrugged and tried to wave it off. Usually Juliet might ask if something was wrong, but right now she was so intent on avoiding anything other than light conversation, so she let it go. Shawn couldn't help but notice the mildly strained look on her face. Shawn glanced at Gus, who suddenly announced that he had to go to the bathroom and hurried off. Shawn took Juliet gently by the shoulder.

"How are you?" he asked concernedly. "You doing alright?"

"Of course I am," Juliet said a little too quickly. Shawn raised his eyebrows. She sighed. "Yes, Shawn, I'm fine." She looked around the tidy halls. "Is there anything I can help finish up with or—"

"No, no, no," Shawn pressed his finger to her lips. He smiled. "You, my lady love, are going to sit back and relax. Now, the bed's all made up so it should be good and comfortable for you and we can listen to whatever music you want."

Without waiting for Juliet to argue, which she was about to do, Shawn lifted her gently off of her feet and scooped her into his arms. Juliet let out an exclaim of surprise, but couldn't stop the grin that spread across her face. Shawn smiled back.

"I am going to smack my lips against yours passionately," he informed her before doing so. He walked, still kissing her, into their bedroom and then set her down gently on the soft bed. He pulled away, their faces only centimeters apart. "I love you, Jules. I love you so much."

Juliet stared at him a minute, looking deep into his hazel eyes. There was something there, something behind all of that love…something that she couldn't quite place. It reminded her a little of the guilt that she had partially forgotten when he swept her off her feet.

"I love you, too, Shawn." Juliet murmured, reaching up to touch her fingertips to his face. "I…I love you more than I can possibly say."

Shawn's smile grew and he pressed his lips once more upon Juliet's.

"I think it's time we tell Gus he can come out of hiding, don't you?" he said, standing and curling a lock of Juliet's hair around his finger.

The rest of the afternoon went by slowly, too slowly for both Juliet's and Shawn's liking. Both were tense with nerves. They ended up switching the 80's station to a light swing station that seemed to favorite Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong. The light swing of their voices somehow calmed Juliet. She could just barely hear Shawn and Gus's bantering as she closed her eyes. Without realizing it, she fell into a light doze, her last thoughts being of Shawn and her own hypocrisy.

Three and a half hours later, Shawn and Juliet were sitting opposite a living room full of people. Lloyd and Maryanne were sitting on the loveseat; Gus and Rachel were sharing the armchair; Madeleine, the Chief, and Marlowe were all on the couch, Henry and Lassiter leaning on either armrest. Frank was standing next to one of the lamps, somewhat distanced from the rest of the group.

"What is it, Jewel?" he asked in a curious voice. Juliet had just explained to everyone that she and Shawn were hosting dinner so that they could make an important announcement. Three other pairs of eyes were also looking at the two expecting parents unknowingly. Shawn gathered from this that Gus had told Rachel, but his father hadn't told his mother, thank god. Juliet guessed that Lassiter had told Marlowe, even though she had explicitly said not to repeat it. But at least there were only three people who already knew and not anymore….or so she thought…

"As you all know, Juliet and I have been through a lot over the past few-well…for a while…" Shawn began nervously, lacing his fingers with Juliet's. "But we've been able to sort out our differences and realize that through everything, all that really matters is our love for each other. And now we have something to prove it…"

He trailed off. Was that enough of an explanation? The faces staring back were generally blank or, in Gus's case, distorted into a forced look of contemplation. Juliet glanced over at Shawn, who was now biting his lip, and then back at the people in front of them.

"What Shawn is trying to say…" Juliet explained, her heart pounding, her breath shaky. She looked at Frank; he was staring down at the floor, a strange look on his face. She swallowed and turned her attention to her mom. Looking directly to her, she took a deep breath and steeled herself. "Shawn and I are having a baby."

The reaction was immediate. Everyone in the room stood and exclaimed. Madeleine practically screamed, dragging Henry into a colossal hug. Juliet's mother's face gleamed and tears suddenly appeared on her cheeks. She turned her face into Lloyd's shoulder, sobbing. Everyone was excited and, almost as a mob, came up to hug and congratulate Shawn and Juliet. Everyone, Juliet noticed, except for Frank. He was still staring at the floor. She was just about to disentangle herself from her mother when Shawn's mother came up to them.

"Oh, Goose, I'm so proud of you!" Madeleine cried, throwing her arms around Shawn's neck and kissing his head multiple times. Shawn hugged her back. Madeleine turned to Juliet, beaming, her cheeks wet. "And Juliet: beautiful, beautiful Juliet!"

The two women embraced tightly.

"You are going to be a lovely mother," Madeleine whispered in her ear. "Just know, these Spencers are hard to bring up."

She let go and winked good humouredly. Juliet smiled, unsure of what to say. Madeleine embraced Shawn once more before leaving to talk to Juliet's mom. Shawn and Juliet shared a tense sigh of relief.

"This is good," Shawn said contentedly.

"Yeah, it is," Juliet agreed, her eyes twinkling fondly at him. They leaned into each, other cheek to cheek and palm to palm, looking at all of the people they loved. Once again, Juliet's eyes fell on Frank. He hadn't moved. She frowned. "Almost…"

Shawn found what she was looking at.

"Maybe I should…" Juliet started.

"Yeah…" Shawn finished. He kissed her cheek supportively. Juliet slipped through the gaggle of friends and carefully approached her father. He remained still, though she was quite sure that he could see her. They stood there in silence for a moment, both trying to figure out what to say. Juliet opened her mouth, about to call him Frank, but then changed her mind.

"Dad?" she whispered tentatively. Frank looked up slowly, his eyes full. He smiled a tight, but still sincere, smile.

"I'm very happy for you, Jewel," he said quietly. "You and Shawn are going to do a fine job as parents."

Juliet bit her lip, unable to speak. Unexpectedly to her, a tear slid down her cheek. Frank reached out carefully and brushed it away.

"I'm sorry, Jewel," he murmured. "I don't want to bring you down…it's just…you're my little girl. It's hard for a father to see his girl so grown up." He paused, chancing a glance at Maryanne. "I remember every morning the day you were born, when your mother handed you to me and I looked into your beautiful, shining face. You were so small and innocent and….Whenever I look at you, I still see my baby and now…you going to have a baby."

Juliet swallowed hard, trying to keep from crying more. When she spoke, her voice quivered.

"I want you to be a part of this baby's life," she said deliberately. "I always thought that you weren't there for me and I may never fully understand why you weren't but…what I do know is that the best way you could make that up is to be there for your grandchild."

Frank stared at her intently. He knew that this was possibly the closest his daughter would ever get to saying she forgave him.

"Of course, Jewel," he said softly. "I can't see it any other way."

Juliet smiled gratefully and without a second thought, she hugged him tight. Frank hugged her back, kissing the side of her head.

Shawn, who had watched the entire exchange, smiled to himself. He knew that Juliet's relationship with her father was rocky, but that he still had a strong influence upon her. In that moment, it struck Shawn just how much he wanted to be a good father, not just to break the Spencer cycle that his Dad had talked to him about, but also for Juliet. She needed to know that their daughter wouldn't go through what she had or that their son wouldn't go through what Shawn had.

Later that night, after everyone had left and Shawn and Juliet had restored the living room to its previous cleanliness, they fell sleepily onto the couch. A very full silence sat between them; Shawn was thinking about breaking his end of the promise. Juliet was thinking about breaking her end of the promise. He felt guilty. She felt guilty. He thought she'd kill him if he told her. She thought he'd go berserk if she told him.

"I have to tell you something," they said at the exact same time, breaking the silence. They looked at each other.

"What?" in unison.

"You first!" their voices collided. Juliet laughed and Shawn smirked adoringly at her.

"Alright, I'll sacrifice," he said tiredly. "I didn't mean to but…I told Gus earlier today and my Dad by proxy."

Juliet stared at him for a moment and, to his surprise, she laughed out loud.

"Thank god," she said. "Because I had to tell Lassiter. And little did we know, his radio was on, so the Chief and McNab found out, too."

Shawn raised his eyebrows.

"No kidding?" he asked. Juliet nodded and together they burst into peals of laughter.

"I was so mad at myself all day!" Juliet exclaimed through giggles. Shawn nodded.

"Me too!" He chuckled, his stomach aching from laughing. Juliet gaped and pointed at him.

"That's why you cleaned!" she gasped. Shawn couldn't argue, so he simply shrugged. His laughter faded and his grin widened.

"So I only told two people," he started. "And you told three…you know what that means, right?"

Juliet looked at him suspiciously.

"What?" she asked cautiously, a smile playing on her lips and in her eyes.

"It means I won," he said simply.

"You won?" Juliet repeated incredulously. "This wasn't a winning or losing thing, Shawn!"  
Shawn nodded.

"Oh, but it was, Jules, it was."

"Fine," Juliet huffed, sitting up and looking at him. "Fine, then, what did you win?"

Shawn cocked an eyebrow at her, sitting up slowly. One of his hands slid up her back and found the base of her neck while the other laced around her fingers. He leaned forward tantalizingly, taking his time and appreciating every inch of Juliet. She could feel his breath warm on her face. Their lips met ever so slightly, soft and gentle as the spring breezes outside. But like a budding tree, the kiss grew stronger and stronger, until Shawn had to support Juliet's back with both hands. He gently lowered her onto the pillows at the corner of the couch. They could hardly breathe and when they surfaced, their faces were only millimeters away.

"You thinking what I'm thinking?" Shawn asked breathlessly.

"Oh, yeah," Juliet said faintly, grinning. Shawn hopped off of the couch and helped Juliet up as well. They ran up the stairs and into their bedroom and fell limply onto their bed.

Two hours later, both Shawn and Juliet were asleep, clothes still on, her head resting on his chest, his face buried in her hair. The sheets were still neat and made up, the comforter covering them warmly.

Phineas and Ferb was still flashing on the television.

**At almost 4,000 words, this was the longest chapter for this collection. What did you think? Please review! :D**


	5. Jeepers Creepers!

**Hello Psych-O friends! I'm sorry for the long delay between posts. Here's the thing, I was planning to have something about the Spencer-O'Hara/Shules/Starfish baby being born next, but it's got some fine tuning that needs must be done.**

** Meanwhile, I had a little run in with a spider that sparked the idea for this little ficlet. It does give away what their 'Congrats, It's a _' balloon would say in my world, but that was going to happen anyway. And you'll notice that I mention Shawn as Juliet's boyfriend; honestly, going along with the little plot I've developed, I don't like the idea of the two of them getting married out of pressure. I think they'd be a pretty rad unmarried parental team.**

**PLEASE REVIEW. Thank you to everyone who has already! Reading them has been almost better than drinking Pineapple Smoothies..._ALMOST_. **

**Jeepers Creepers!**

"DADDY!"

Shawn sat straight up, waking up immediately to his daughter's cry.

"Aaaaaahhhh!" She screamed, loud and high-pitched.

"Phoebe?" he called back, the initial paternal panic hitting him like a wave.

"Daddy!" she cried again. "There's a big spider and it's going to eat me! Help!"

Juliet rolled over, waking up much slower due to extreme exhaustion. This was the first night in about a week that Phoebe was not calling for her.

"What's happen…" she started, the rest of the sentence lost to the pillow that she had buried her face into. "…she okay…?"

"Don't worry, Jules," Shawn whispered, leaning over and kissing her on the tip of her ear. "I got this."

"Mmmph…" Juliet replied, blindly patting his arm and missing.

"Daddy!" Phoebe sobbed.

"I'm coming, baby girl," Shawn said, throwing the blankets off of him and jumping out of bed. This was something that he and Juliet had grown accustomed to. Phoebe, at the young age of four, had been having nightmares for the past couple of weeks and wasn't hesitating to wake her parents for comfort. She would usually go back to sleep quickly, though, especially if Shawn or Juliet spent the rest of the night with her or took her back to their room to sleep safely in between them. But they always found her the same way: trembling with fear, holding tightly to one of the many stuffed animals surrounding her, and covered to the nose with her bedspread, allowing only her eyes, round with fear, to be seen. That was exactly what Shawn saw when he got to her room.

"Daddy…" Phoebe whimpered, her voice muffled because of the blanket. Shawn's heart ached for a second at the pure need in her eyes. He hurried over to her.

"Don't worry, sweetie, Daddy's here," he assured her, sitting on the edge of her bed. She moved over so that he could scoot closer and then she climbed into his embrace, hiding her face in his shirt. Shawn wrapped his arms tightly, protectively around his daughter and kissed the top of her head lightly. "It's okay, my little Starfish...you're fine…"

Shawn held Phoebe like that, whispering comforting things, until her sobs had relaxed into sniffles. When she had calmed down enough, he cupped her chin in his palm and tilted her face up so that he could look at her.

"Another bad dream?" he asked. But to his surprise, Phoebe shook her head. Shawn frowned.

"Over there, over there!" she squealed, pointing at the corner across the room. Shawn followed her finger slowly, a little scared himself about what was there and then….he saw it…

A great, big, GIANT spider.

"Aaaaaahhhh!" Shawn screamed, loud and high-pitched, almost identical to his daughter's earlier exclamation. Holding Phoebe tight, he jumped off of the bed and backed into the wall furthest away from the arachnid. It took him a little while to catch his breath, still hugging his daughter to him.

"Oh my god," Shawn muttered lowly. Phoebe looked at him pleadingly.

"Get rid of it, Daddy," she begged. Shawn shook his head apologetically.

"I'm sorry, Phoebes," he said with regret. "I can't go near that…that thing…"

Phoebe frowned at him.

"Then who can?" she asked quietly. Shawn looked at her. They stared at each other for a few seconds before shouting in unison.

"JULES!"

"MOMMY!"

In seconds, Juliet came sprinting down the hall and into the room. She was, unsurprisingly, in full detective mode and was, having thought the worst, holding one of the small just-in-case guns at the ready. She scanned the room quickly before her eyes fell on her boyfriend and their daughter, clinging to each other for dear life.

"What?" she asked exasperatedly. The two Spencers looked at her with identical sheepishly stony faces and pointed at the same time. Juliet looked to the other wall and saw the spider, whose big leg twitched with irritation at all of the noise. Juliet rolled her eyes at them.

"Seriously?" she muttered, though her eyes were twinkling. Shawn and Phoebe shrugged. Juliet let out a huffy sigh and neared the spider without hesitation.

"Mommy?" Phoebe said suddenly. Juliet turned.

"Yes, sweetie?"

"Don't kill it."

Juliet stared at her daughter blankly for a moment before turning back to the spider. She checked to make sure that it wasn't poisonous and then picked it up gingerly by one of its long legs. It relaxed complacently and did not move as Juliet opened the window and threw it out into the night.

"Better?" she asked, eyebrows raised.

"Much," Phoebe and Shawn answered in unison.

**Thoughts? Free virtual bunnies to whoever reviews ;)**


	6. Summertime

**Hi Psych-O buddies! Here is another ficlet that I came up with after babysitting a four-month-old who would not go to sleep. As you've noticed if you've read these little fics, there's not too much of a plot going, but I am considering writing a full story based off of the 'Starfish Spencer' stories. Any thoughts on that? **

**Also, as you'll notice, this one is called 'Summertime'. Because in Summertime, the living is easy. And the song was stuck in my head as I wrote this. (By the way, if you haven't heard the song, look up Summertime by Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong. Drink/eat pineapple in any way, shape, or form and you will be in a wonderful summery paradise.)**

**Enjoy and please review! I've appreciated each and every review so far :D**

_Summertime_

"You're sure you'll be alright?"

"Jules—"

"Because if you're not, I can—"

"Juliet—"

"I don't have to go, I can stay home and—"

"Juliet O'Hara!" Shawn interrupted loudly. Juliet stopped and bit her lip. Shawn smiled reassuringly at her and touched her hand. "We're both going to be fine."

They were in the living room of their house, Shawn standing in front of Juliet, who was sitting on the couch, cradling their daughter in her arms. Phoebe was making baby noises and stretching her fingers towards Juliet's face.

"But, sweetheart, I really don't have to go," Juliet protested. Shawn gave her a sympathetic look.

"Jules, you know you have to at some point," he said, sitting down next to her. "You've taken three months off when you said you were only going to take a month and a half. Even if you won't admit it, I know you're dying to get back to work."

Juliet didn't argue, because she couldn't. It was true; she wanted so badly to get back to being a detective, as well as a mother. But every time she looked into her little daughter's eyes, she found that work seemed to mean nothing. One and a half months had sounded like long enough before the baby was born, but once the date had come, it felt way too soon. Now even three months didn't feel like enough time. Juliet sighed, looking back down at her daughter, who was watching the two adults quietly.

"You're right," Juliet agreed reluctantly. "It's just, every time I look into that sweet little face—"

"—you feel like you want to stay forever," Shawn said quietly, wrapping an arm around Juliet's shoulders and looking down at their daughter.

"Exactly," Juliet murmured. She lifted Phoebe's head to her lips and pressed them there, closing her eyes and wallowing in her love for her daughter.

"Okay," she said, opening her eyes and lowering Phoebe before she lost the will to. "Okay, I'm going to do this."

Shawn kissed her cheek.

"Everything's going to be fine, Jules," he assured her. "Phoebes and I will miss you but we'll have a good old time, won't we baby?"

He tapped Phoebe's cheek lightly, making it bounce. Phoebe flashed him a wide, toothless smile, reaching her hands out towards him. Juliet laughed and carefully passed the baby to Shawn, who held her against his chest easily. She was quite a small baby, though she had exquisitely fat cheeks that Shawn and Julie loved, and fit perfectly in his arms.

"I'll be home by dinner," Juliet began, standing. She started towards the door, picking up her keys and phone and putting them in her purse. Shawn followed, holding Phoebe firmly on one side. "And I'll call you just to check in." She opened the closet door and pulled out a raincoat. It was rather gloomy and wet outside. "There should be plenty of formula in the fridge and I washed some extra jumpers just in case she needs them."

"And the two of us and Gus will probably drop you a visit at the station sometime," Shawn added.

"Yes, but try to call first just in case Lassiter and I get called out," Juliet nodded. She pulled the rest of the coat on and stood there, knowing that this was the moment to leave, but not wanting it to be. Her eyes fell on Phoebe, watching her from Shawn's hold. "And Shawn?"

"Yes, Jules?" Shawn asked. Juliet looked at him pleadingly.

"Please tell me I have to go," she begged. Shawn sighed and folded her into a one-armed hug.

"You have to go, sweetheart," he whispered. "We'll be right here when you get back."

Juliet squeezed him. They released each other and she turned to Phoebe.

"Bye, baby," she murmured, holding one of her daughter's tiny hands. "Have fun with Daddy, alright? Be a good girl for him."

"I'll be a good girl, Mommy," Shawn said in a falsetto voice from behind his daughter's head. "I'll do everything Daddy says and be a perfect little angel."

Phoebe grinned and let out a long 'hee!' that Shawn and Juliet had come to perceive as laughter. Juliet giggled with her and then leaned forward to kiss her nose. Phoebe puckered her lips in response. Juliet could almost feel her heart crack at the idea of leaving her baby. Steeling herself, she straightened up to say goodbye to her boyfriend.

"I love you," she told him.

"I love you, Jules," he replied and then, they kissed…for an admittedly very long time. They had spent so much more time with each other recently that neither really wanted to let the other go. It was only when Phoebe started lightly patting each parents' cheek that Shawn and Juliet split apart.

"I'll talk to you later, babe," she said and then, peppering Phoebe's face with kisses once more, she added, "And I'll see you later, too, baby girl."

And before she could second-guess herself anymore, Juliet turned away with great difficulty, opened the door and walked out on the porch. The door closed behind her with a very unsatisfied thud. Shawn and Phoebe stared at it with identically wide, hazel, puppy-dog eyes that couldn't quite believe that Juliet had actually left. Shawn offered his daughter his thumb to wrap her tiny fingers around.

"Well," he sighed, looking at her. "It looks like it's just you and me, sweet pea."

No sooner had he said this than the front door swung open once more and Juliet ran back inside. She flung her arms around Shawn's neck and held both of her Spencer's close. Shawn was secretly relieved to hug her once more. Phoebe immediately latched on to a strand of Juliet's hair, in addition to Shawn's thumb. Her grip was tight and forced Juliet to stay, even when she had let go and pecked Shawn on the lips once more.

"You have to let go of Mommy's hair, sweetie," Juliet told her, gently trying to pry her daughter's fingers apart. Phoebe's face contorted sadly and both parents could sense the tears coming on. Shawn assisted and replaced Juliet's hair with his other finger. Phoebe immediately began to cry and tried to reach out for her mother, but Shawn held her hand.

"It's okay, Jules," he said quickly, noticing his girlfriend's pained expression. "Go on, she's going to be fine."

Juliet hesitated for a moment, but then nodded and hurried out of the house before she couldn't. The closing of the door caused Phoebe to cry even harder. She turned suddenly and looked into Shawn's eyes, her face red. Shawn quickly pressed his lips to her forehead and held them there, rocking her lightly and walking away from the door.

"Shh, shh, shh, sweetheart," he whispered, though his voice was drowned out by her sobs. Before becoming a father, he had never known that babies could cry so loudly. "Don't worry, Mommy will be back before you know it."

But Phoebe just cried harder, her tears echoing throughout the house and ringing in Shawn's ears. The sound made him hurt physically, as if he was the one crying and not her. He walked up the stairs, bouncing slightly in efforts to calm her down. When they made it to the nursery, he sat in the yellow and green rocking chair and rocked back and forth, patting Phoebe's back softly.

"I know, I know," he told her lightly, though he really didn't know at all. Sure, he knew and understood that she was upset about Juliet leaving, but Phoebe cried about a lot of other things that, not being a baby, Shawn couldn't quite grasp. Though, the not being a baby part was debatable by some of the people who knew him. "I miss Mommy, too."

And he certainly did. He didn't know it was possible for him and Juliet to grow closer, but they definitely had over the past few months. He might have cried himself, had Phoebe not been doing enough of that for a small army.

Rocking her in the chair wasn't working. This was odd because it usually always worked. She always seemed to like the motion. And Shawn always seemed to have the 'magic touch', as Juliet had often put it. Sometimes, Phoebe would stop crying the second he picked her up. Suddenly, Shawn found himself worrying that something was wrong. Hadn't he been the one to respond to her cries in the middle of the night and comfort her so that Juliet could get much needed sleep? Why was it so much more difficult now than then? Was she sick or hurt somehow?

Shawn tried to hold her out so that he could look at her face, just to try and check, but Phoebe resisted and buried her head in the curve of his neck. She pressed her nose into his skin, her breathing short and shallow, her wailing dying down to sniffles.

"That's what it is," Shawn said with some relief, because he knew what this meant. "You just need a nap, don't you little girl?"

His relaxation at this revelation was short-lived, however, because as soon as she had stopped crying, she started back up again. Shawn winced; that sound still hurt him. The rocking chair obviously wasn't working. He needed a new approach. With determination, he stood up. Phoebe's grip on his shirt and the skin of his lower neck was strong. He adjusted his arms so that he was more hugging her than holding her, still supporting her head and back and stroking her fingers gently.

Without really thinking, Shawn began to dance, swaying back and forth. Her crying faltered for a moment and reduced to mild sobs. He kissed the surprisingly thick tuft of brown hair on his daughter's head and then rested his chin close to her ear. He danced from room to room, up and down the stairs, all through the house. The more he danced, the quieter her cries became until, soon, they were soft and occasional.

"That's my little girl," Shawn whispered, smiling against her head. "That's my baby girl."

And somehow, he started to sing softly. There were no words, really, just something like 'Ya-ta-ta-tee-ta-da' to the first tune that popped into his head, which was for some reason "I Could Have Danced All Night" from My Fair Lady. This was strange because he hadn't even really seen that musical, nor did he really care for it. But the melody sounded comforting and it seemed to work because, before he knew it, Shawn felt Phoebe's head lull against his shoulder and she grew a little heavier in his arms.

Smiling to himself, he looked at the clock and was surprised to see that almost forty-five minutes had gone by since Juliet had left. Yes, his daughter had definitely inherited his volume and talking-capacity. He didn't know whether to be proud of that or afraid.

Thinking that perhaps he could call Gus and talk very quietly, Shawn carefully tiptoed up the stairs, carrying his now sleeping daughter. He approached her cot and ever so gently lowered her down to lay in it. As soon as he let go of her, however, Phoebe let out a loud whine. Eyes closed, the noise quickly multiplied and intensified.

"I got you, I got you," Shawn murmured, picking her up again before she could get too into her tears. He swayed gently and sang the 'Ya-ta-ta-tee-ta-da' song once more until Phoebe went quiet. After a few minutes, he tried lowering her into her crib again. Once more, she began to cry with her eyes shut as soon as his hands had left her. So, Shawn picked her up and danced and sang again.

This happened five more times. On the sixth try, Shawn walk-danced further and for a little while longer to ensure that Phoebe was fast asleep before he tried to lay her back down. But by the time he had climbed up the stairs again, Shawn realized that not only was he quite worn out, but that he did not want to let go of his little girl. At this point, he didn't know if he even could. She was clutching his shirt in a death grip and he loved the feeling of her tiny fingers against his palm. Instead of going back to the nursery, Shawn instead turned into his and Juliet's room. He tipped his head down at his now soundly sleeping daughter.

"Daddy's going to join you," he yawned. He fell onto the bed very slowly so as not to reawaken the sleeping infant. Resting his head on the pillow, he adjusted Phoebe's head carefully so that it was nestled comfortably underneath his chin. For a few moments, Shawn simply watched her. He watched as one of her hands flexed and then curled again, the fingers twitching ever so slightly. The other hand was still encased in his. He watched as a sweet little smile curled up her lips.

"I love you so much, baby girl," Shawn whispered, smiling himself. Glad to have not changed out of his pajamas that morning, he closed his eyes and fell asleep.

**What did you think? Please review!**


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